


Oh, Christmas Tree!

by Storytimeonthemoon



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky & Steve are squirrels, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, Christmas fic, Fluff, I asked my friend what they wanted for a christmas fic present, I didn't know how to refer to them, M/M, Not Beta Read, Squirrels, Stevie is the squirrel version, and I said, and i said awwalkdjasf, and they said squirrels, and they said squirrels look, but also humans, fable, human Bucky is called James, no beta we die like men, so here this is, so squirrel Bucky is named Bucky, squirrel! Bucky, squirrel! Steve, there's two of each, what?, woodland animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storytimeonthemoon/pseuds/Storytimeonthemoon
Summary: Steve and James don't buy a Christmas tree in time, but luckily they have cute little squirrel counterparts to help them out.~“It looks great!” Stevie said. He had wiggled his way into one of the stockings, and all they could see were his little ears and beady blue eyes.“It does” his human agreed, “I just feel like we’re missing something.” They all looked around. Garlands, lights, wooden Christmas horse.“Where’s the tree?!” Bucky gasped.~A Christmas bed time story (I guess now a boxing day eve story), that I can't really explain the concept of. (Perhaps the tags will shed some light on the subject.) It's cute though. Take a looksie and see for yourself.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	Oh, Christmas Tree!

**Author's Note:**

> Could I have been writing all week to finish this for Christmas Eve? Yes. Did I decide I would rather laze around and forget about deadlines for the first time in months? Also yes. And gosh darn it, it was worth it.  
> So please enjoy this christmas fic, inspired by my love of Jan Brett and my christmas tradition of reading her books on chritams eve. Also inspired by my friends request for squirrel! Bucky and Steve. An interesting concept that I unfortunately couldn't find any reference material for. I may find some art and put a link to it here later. Watch me bemoan the fact that I posting this 'far too late at night', and then look to your left and see everyone else like, 'hi it's two am, enjoy'.  
> Alright, without further ado! Merry Christmas, everyone! Specially you Jim, I hope it's the christmas fic you wished for <3.

The town was draped in snow, keeping the family snug and warm under its blanket. Bucky and Stevie sat on the mantle piece above a crackling fire watching their humans decorate for the holidays. James hung bows of holly across the sitting room windows, and Steve set out little ceramic Christmas deer. After lights were strung, and stockings were hung, their humans sat down to enjoy some mulled wine.  
“It looks great!” Stevie said. He had wiggled his way into one of the stockings, and all they could see were his little ears and beady blue eyes.  
“It does” his human agreed, “I just feel like we’re missing something.” They all looked around. Garlands, lights, wooden Christmas horse. 

“Where’s the tree?!” Bucky gasped.  
“Oh my goddess, the tree.” his human said, “We forgot the tree.”  
Bucky burst out laughing. Stevie nudged him to be quiet.  
“Hey, it’s not a big deal. We’ll just get one at that tree farm when we go to your mama’s place tomorrow.” Steve said.  
“Good idea.” James smiled at him, “Alright, now that’s settled, who’s up for a story before bed?”

Bucky and Stevie scurried out of their stocking and onto the couch where their humans were. They sat atop James’ shoulders so they could see the pretty pictures of ‘The Mitten’. They curled their tails around James’ neck and Stevie held onto one of his human’s fingers.  
“Still don’t know why there’s no squirrels in this story.” Bucky chittered. Their humans laughed. Then James began to read.

The next morning woke with sunshine glinting off the freshly fallen snow. Everyone piled into James’ old pick up, and gifts were loaded in the back seat. Bucky and Stevie sat on their humans shoulders, eagerly watching old brownstones turn to tall forests. 

It was mid morning when they pulled up to the tree lot.  
“Oh, no”, Steve whispered. A sign in red and green stood in front of the gate. Sorry, out of trees. See you next year!, it read.  
“What are we going to do now?” Steve said. His eyebrows came together in a rather forlorn look. James put a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry pal, maybe we can get a fake tree this year. And we’ve still got a warm home full of decorations.” Steve knew James was right, but the smell of a spruce tree in their living room was one of his favourite memories of Christmas with his mom.

He perked up when they arrived at the Barnes’ home, though. Winnie was overjoyed to see them, almost as much as Bucky and Stevie were to see the large spruce forest that surrounded the yard. 

“Stevie!” Bucky chirpped. James looked at the two of them, a fondness in his eyes, “Go ahead”, he said, “Just be back before dinner!” he had to yell over the squeaks and chirps of the little squirrels running off to play in the tree branches. 

“Look at that one, Stevie! I bet a could easily beat you to the top!”  
Stevie chased after him, clutching his little santa hat to his head, “As if! You’d fall not even half way up.” Steve chirped, and scurried up the trunk after him.

Not a moment later Bucky found himself dangling by his fingertips, toes too far from the nearest bottom branch.  
“Bucky, hurry up!” Stevie called, “You can see everything from up here!” He had reached the top of the tallest tree in no time, but Bucky had made the mistake of jumping onto a particularly flimsy branch that bent all the way down, sliding Bucky off and sending him toppling to the ground. As a squirrel however, he was very good at recovering from blunders such as these, and managed to catch a branch on his way down. Unfortunately he had nothing to push off of.  
“Coming!” Bucky grunted. He began to swing his legs, lifting himself up with his arms, and pulling his legs over the branch. “Let’s try this again, shall we?” he muttered, and jumped onto the next branch above him.  
It was cold at the top of the tree, the wind brisk and snapping. The two huddled together, wrapping their tails around each other for warmth. Stevie hid his nose in the warm fluff of Bucky’s tail. 

As they looked out over the forest of lush needles and breathed in the smell of spruce wood, Bucky began to think of James and Steve’s solunm faces when they saw the closed sign. He couldn’t stand to see either of them disappointed. Stevie seemed to have the same thought, “I have an idea.” he said.  
Bucky nodded at him, eager to hear what was likely to be a disastrous plan as always.  
“They want a real tree, right? I’m sure they have one to spare here.”  
“It would be the perfect gift. And then we’d have a tree to climb in. Inside!” Bucky agreed.  
And so the search began.

Stevie was the first to spot one, “Just there, do you see?”, he pointed out across the landscape.  
“Not really,” Bucky said, and grasped the branch with just the tips of his toes so he could see higher.  
“The one with long branches on the bottom and a tall point at the top.”  
Bucky squinted.  
“Hmm. Not quite right.”  
Stevie looked at him. “Really?”  
“What about that one off to the right? The needles look soft, and fun to play in.”  
Stevie rolled his eyes at Bucky, “It’s supposed to be for our humans, remember?”  
Bucky gave him a cheeky smile, “Who says we can’t have a little fun too?”  
Stevie couldn’t help but smile back, “Race you!”, and then he leaped to the tree across the way.

They sprang from branch to branch, and soon they came to the tree with soft looking needles. The needles were indeed soft, but the bark was covered in sap.  
“Um, Buck?” Stevie lifted up his hands and stuck them together, “I think.. It’s a bit too sticky for a Christmas tree, don’t you?”  
Bucky tried to pull needles off his sticky hands, “Yeah. Let’s try a different one.” 

And so, the two squirrels began to hop from tree to tree searching for the perfect one.  
Not too long later Stevie called Bucky over to look at a black spruce. It had many branches, good for ornaments, and wasn’t too tall. 

“I think you found it, pal!” Bucky cheered, and was about to jump over and join Stevie on his branch when he heard a shuffling behind him. Bucky and Stevie’s ears perked up and they turned to see a pair of antlers pushing past the trees.  
“Caribou?” whispered Bucky. (AN: Am I the only one who thinks of the engineer from Polar Express everytime they say caribou?) Sure enough the caribou came up and snuffled at the trunk of the tree. She began to nibble at the beard lichen there, hanging in scraggly strands off the stem.  
“Oh dear.” Stevie said, “Better not take this one. It’s hosting a caribou for dinner.”  
“Speaking of dinner, how much longer do we have?” Bucky asked.  
“Not long, the Sun’s gonna set in an hour or two.”

With hast, the two set off to find a tree that didn’t have lichen for a hungry caribou. Bucky found one only a few trees away, but when Stevie came to join him he stopped short.  
“Don’t move, Buck.” Stevie said through gritted teeth. Bucky held his breath.  
“There’s a fisher, behind you.”  
They stood as still as they could, hoping the fisher would move on quick. Sure enough, he slipped into the next tree. If it weren’t for the fact that he had moved up wind they might have escaped without a chase. As it was, the fisher sniffed the air, and then twisted around to pounce on them. Luckily, Bucky and Stevie were ready, and, nimble as anything, they sprang to the next tree. The fisher tried to follow, but when he landed on the branch, it proved too thin to hold his weight. Down he tumbled. The fisher brushed himself off, and scampered away to find a meal elsewhere. 

“Oh goddess.” Stevie said. They were clutching each other tight, shivering on the branch.  
“Maybe we should just go back now.” Bucky said. 

Stevie shook himself, “No, we can’t give up now. We won’t let them down.” 

Bucky was about to protest, but Stevie had that stubborn look on his face that meant he was determined to succeed no matter what. So they began to search once more. Stevie thought he had found a nice one, but promptly turned away when he spotted a bob cat sharpening her claws on its bark. 

Bucky’s cheer of delight rang throught the forest, “This one, Stevie!” 

It was a nice tree, sort of big, but pretty and full of branches. They ran up and down the stem, celebrating their discovery. That’s when Bucky saw the tumbled rocks he hadn’t noticed before. The tree’s roots were holding them together, creating a little cave in the ground. 

“Stevie come look at this.” he called. Stevie’s claws skittered across the rock when he came to join Bucky. “Neat!” he said. Then his face fell, “Can we still take it, though?”

“Well..”, They paused to listen. There was a soft snoring coming from inside the cave.  
“It’s a bear.” Bucky whispered, “He’s sleeping.”

“Let’s not disturb him then.” They hurried away to look for a tree, together this time. 

Towards the edge of the forest, there was a tree full of nooks and crannies, and covered from head to toe in needles. It had all the hiding places anyone could ever want. They jumped into the middle part of the tree, and began to explore. Not only were there good hiding places, but it was warm and sheltered from the wind. Things were looking good until they came across a nuthacth, fluffed up and hunkering down for the night.  
“Hello Mr. Squirrels,” he sang, “If you’re looking for a place to rest, you’ve found the right tree.” He welcomed them with a ruffle of his wings.  
“Oh thanks, Mr. Nuthatch, sir, but we were actually about to head back home.” Stevie said.  
“Oh well, nice to meet you anyhow.” Mr. Nuthatch said pleasantly. 

Bucky and Stevie climbed to the ground.  
“It wouldn’t do to cut down such a helpful tree. It seems like all the trees here have another job to do besides make James and Steve happy.” Stevie said.  
Bucky nodded, glumly, “I guess we will have to get a fake tree after all.” Stevie held his hand and sighed.

He took one last look around. At the same time Bucky and Stevie gasped. Stevie bounded across the underbrush, hands stretched out infront of him. Bucky followed and they scurried across the forest floor to a tree in the middle of a clearing.

They began to climb to the top.  
“Not much food here.” said Bucky.  
“No cave or den of a sleeping creature.” said Stevie  
“No one with scary claws.”  
They didn’t find anybody settling down for the night either.  
“And it’s the perfect height!” Bucky smiled when he reached the top. 

“I know just the place you’re needed most Mr. Tree.” Stevie said. The little squirrels hugged each other in excitement. 

In the distance, a voice was calling, “Stevie! Bucky! Dinner!” It was Winnie. When they got into the cozy house, brushing the needles and soil off, they made a mad dash to the kitchen.

“Steve!” his squirrel called his name, and Steve braced himself for the tiny claws.  
“James!” Bucky squeaked. Steve gave a jovial laugh, “What’s up? Did you two have fun?”  
“Yes, yes,” Stevie chittered, “And guess what?”  
“What?” James asked as he pulled Bucky’s hat off and ruffled his ears.  
“We found you a present!” Bucky chirped.  
“A present?” Steve said.  
“A Christmas tree!” the squirrels cheered in unison.  
Steve’s mouth hung open. Winnie looked at them with a smile and a tilt of her head. James’ eyebrows were high on his forehead, like when he finds one of them folding laundry, or pouring he and Steve ceareal for breakfast.  
“A- a real tree?” Steve asked.  
“Uh huh.” nodded Bucky  
James smiled down at him, “Well we better go cut it down before it gets too dark, right, Steve?”

A deep layer of snow sat heavy on the roof of the brownstone. Inside, a Christams tree gave a warm glow to the living room. And two little squirrels giggled and chirped as they dashed inbetween ornaments. Their humans smiled, and laughed along with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment, I'd love to know what you thought!  
> Maybe a kudos if you liked it?:)


End file.
